Reach-rod for motor-vehicles.



PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

g 2 5 3 9% attowwl G. E. FRANQUIST. REACH ROD PORMOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1905.

, UNITED srii ri s ArnNr OFFICE.

GUS IC E. FRANQUISlL OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REACHHBOD FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1906.

llpplicatibn filed August 11, 1905. Serial No. 273,721.

* at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain new and 'useful. Improvements in Reach-Rods for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

"My invention relates to a construction of reach-rod for motor-vehicles.

Inthe manufacture of high-power cars which are now used provision mu'st be made,

for various bending and twisting movements of the various parts. Motor-cars are driven over all grades and conditions of roads; freduently at high speeds, sothat very severe strains are imposed upon the parts of the chassis or frame. I The chassis is constructed of very highly resilient or elastic steel and itself acts to a certain' extent as a' vehiclespring, being continually bent inalldirections out of it's true shape to withstand the various strains. Accordingly it is important to provide a reach-rod which shall not only accommodate. the. continuous bending movemerits of the usual vehicle-springs, but'alsO:

the bending and twisting movement of the frame or chassis as well.

It is the object of myinventiomto rovide a construction of T81Cl1- rod which sha attain the foregoing purposes and which shall be simpleand easyt'o construct and having a minimum number of arts.

. lVith these and ot er objects in view my invention consists in the construction, combination, location, and arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a motor-vehicle, showing the application of a reach-rod embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the re'ach-rod. Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the member bylwhlch the reach-rod is attached to the rear ax e.

The ordinary construction of reach-rod is pivoted at'a point of'the rear axle and to a stud upon the motorwehicleframe, so as to maintain a fixed distance between centers for the driving-chain and at the same time per,- Init a movement of the rear axle with relation to the frame. It is customary to provide means'by which the length of the reach-rod can be adjusted, so that it may be adapted to accommodate different lengths of chain or the wear thereof and otherwise suited to different conditions which arise in practice. My improved reach-rod has both of the abovenamed features in addition to its characteristics which permit a bending movement of the frame or chassis as a whole. I .Refer'ringto the drawings, 1 denotes a motor-vehicle chassis or frame, and 2 indicates the rear axle, which is bolted; to the usualv vehicle-springs 3. [indicates the drivingshaft of the motor-vehicle, which is journaled,

in bearings ,in the frame 1, and 5 designates the usual wheels provided with drivingspro'ckets'6. These partsconstitute the ordie nary and well-known features of a motor-vehicle and form no-i'partfof my present in-' vention;

7- indicates, broadly, the reach-rod, which. I

is formed of several parts or sections. In the preferred form of my inventionl employ a bar or forging 8, having an enlarged portion 9 at one end and a slightly-deflected art 10 at the other end thereof. The deflec ed end 10 is formed with an aperture or eye 11, While the enlarged portion 9 is provided with a slot 12 and'drilled with a longitudinal hole 13, which is internally screw-threaded at 13.

l4 denotes a pivot bearing or su port for the reach-rod 7, which I shall term t e axlepivotmember. I form this art with a forked or bifurcated end 15, having openings 16, to register with the eye 11, reviouslydescribed.

17 indicates a threaded portion upon the rod 14, which screws through a corres 0ndingly-threaded hole in the axle 2, a 100 nut 18 being afterward screwed into place to hold the pivot member in position upon the axle.

19 indicates a hole through which an ordinary cotter-pin 20 may be passed to insure the lock-nut 18 against working loose.

An important feature of my invention lies in the way in which the deflected end 10 of the reach-rod 8 fits the forked end 15 of the axle-pivot member.

' In carrying out my invention I form the width between the arms 15 of the fork 15 substantiallygreater than the width of the deflected end 10, in practice amounting to about one-sixteenth of an inch, and I employ a pin to engage the opening 16 and the eye 11,

ole-frame.

which shall be loose in one or the other of the parts, so that the reach-rod can have a certain amount of lateral and swiveling movement, as Well as up-a11ddown movement, with relation to the axle. At the enlarged .end 9 of the reach-rod I arrange a threaded sleeve 21, which is of a form to engage the screwthreads 13:

22 indicates a head upon the threaded sleeve, by which it may be screwed into and out of the reach-rod.

23 indicates an arm, which is rockably sup-- ported on a stud 24, rejecting from the vehi- The rocl ing arm 23 is circular in section throughout the greater part of its length and is of a diameter adapted toengage the longitudinal opening in the threaded sleeve 21.

25 indicates a head which may be secured upon the arm 23 after the sleeve 21 has been assembled thereon, so as to hold the sleeve in place.

In carrying out invention I arrange the parts so that a relative movement may oc cur between the sleeve 21 and the arm 23, and" for this purpose Iform the membersof metals which give an efficient bearing-surface, and

in practice I make the sleeve 21 of phosphorbron'ze and the arm '23 of steel, although it is obvious that other materials could be used. The arm 23 engages the sleeve quite tightly in practice but under the great strains to which the parts are subjected a relative movement is always possible.

In practice the device is assembled into proper relation, after which a clamping-band 26 is bolted around the part 9, soas to bind the same firmly to the sleeve 211 An additional feature of my invention relates to the tail of the member 14, which may be used as an anchor for the usual brake-band, asat 27,

esired. p What 'I claim is 1. In a motor-vehicle, an axle-pivot mem her having a forked end, a'bar havin an eye adapted to be loosely inclosed by sai forked end so as to permit a slightlateral movement,

apin connecting said parts, and a swivel conber, a rod pivoted thereto and having a longitudinal cavity or hole drilled in its opposite end, a sleeve longitudinally ad'ustable within said hole, and'an arm swivele in said sleeve and pivoted to the chassis or frame of the vehicle.

' 3. In a motor-vehicle, anaXle-pivot member, a rod pivoted thereto and'having a longitudinal cavity or hole formed in its oposite end, an antifriction metal sleeve lon itudihally adjustable within said hole, an an arm 'swiveled in said sleeve and pivoted to the chassis or frame of the vehicle.

' .4. 'In a motor-vehicle, an axle-pivot mem-' her a rod pivoted thereto and havinga longitudinal cavity or hole formed in its opposite end, an antifriction metal sleeve longitudi Y ber, a rod pivoted thereto and having. a longitudinal cavity or hole formed in its op osite end and having a longitudinally-slotte Wall,

a clamping-ring surrounding. said end, a

sleeve longitudinally adjustable Within said hole and an arm swiveled in said sleeve and pivoted to the chassis or frame of the vehicle.

6. In a motor-vehicle, an axle-pivot member havin a forked end, .arod pivoted to'said forked end and having free lateral movement therein and having a longitudinal? threaded cavity ,or hole formed in its opposite end, a

sleeve of antifriction' metal engaging said threaded hole, means for clampingsald sleeve said hole, and an arm having a head pivoted to the chassis or frame of the vehicle and swiveled in said sleeve. 1

In witness whereof I subscribemy signa-" ture in the presence of two tnesses.

GUSTAVE E. FRANQUI ST.

. Witnesses:

FRANK S. OBER ALFRED W. PRooToR. 

